world weather

On 3rd May the extremely severe tropical cyclone Fani (pronounced as ‘Foni’) made landfall in the east Indian state Odishi. It reached sustained maximum wind speeds of 185-195 km/h with gusts to 205 km/h on land. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that it weakened moving north-noth-eastwards towards West Bengal and Bangladesh.

At the start of the month, the Beast from the East continued to cause heavy snowfall in Europe. The blizzard forced the cancellation of all flights at Dublin airport on Thursday and the temporary closure of Geneva airport in Switzerland. Large parts of the Continent continue to shiver in the grip of a Siberian weather system that has brought the coldest temperatures for several years.

On the 1st December, 121 mm of rainfall in 24 hours lead to flooding in Albania, leaving at least one person dead, homes destroyed and numerous roads blocked.

Heavy snow blanketed northern Europe on the 11th causing many flight cancellations and delays, particularly at Schiphol, Frankfurt and Brussels airports. In Germany, the heavy snow has caused car accidents and transportation problems. In France, 32 regions were put on alert, as snowstorms battered coastal areas and cut power to thousands of homes. Snowstorms also spread southwards into Italy.

Typhoon Damrey – the 12th major storm to hit Vietnam this year - caused serious flooding and strong winds in Vietnam’s central and southern regions on the 5th-6th. It caused damage to 40,000 homes, uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, and at least 69 people were killed.

Storm Nate killed at least 25 people in Coast Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras on 5th-6th Oct, causing heavy rain, landslides and flooding. It weakened to a tropical depression after bringing heavy rain to south-eastern US on the 7th and 8th, making landfall as a hurricane in Louisiana and Mississippi.

In Arizona, USA, an ongoing heat wave has seen some of the highest temperatures ever recorded. Temperatures in Death Valley reached 54°C and flights to Phoenix were cancelled when airport temperatures reached 48°C. The heat wave has led to wild fires.

High temperatures across southern Europe have also caused problems – Portugal and Spain in particular have been tackling forest fires to which they were vulnerable after a dry winter and spring.

There is nowhere quite like Cape Town, The Mother City; it is the perfect blend of grand landscapes and natural wonders, combined with an array of cultures, cuisines and creativity. It is even said that Cape Town can have four seasons in one day - the perfect location for the weather-loving intrepid traveller. The proximity of nature is also a constant source of wonderment here - you can watch zebra and wilderbeasts grazing on the slopes of the world famous Table Mountain from the highway.

About theWeather Club

theWeather Club is full of interesting and educational content that captures the many faces of the weather – its beauty, its power, its occasional absurdity and its fragility in the face of human activity.